Karachi:
A cargo plane crashed into a housing complex in Karachi soon after takeoff on Sunday, setting off a huge blaze and killing all eight Russian crew on board, Pakistan's civil aviation authority said.
At least one person on the ground was injured, but the Russian-made plane missed several densely populated apartment blocks by a few hundred yards (metres).
About 20 houses were damaged or destroyed though most were under construction and believed to be unoccupied, locals said.
The Sudan-bound plane crashed around 1:50 a.m (20:50 GMT Saturday), when many people in the upscale neighbourhood of Pakistan's largest city were asleep.
One of the plane's engines was on fire when it flew overhead, several witnesses said.
"I live nearby here, and one plane took off from the airport and the right side of this plane was already on fire. When the plane crashed in this area, there was a big explosion and a whole side of the plane was on fire," said a local resident, Nabil Ahmed.
The plane exploded into flames, sending fire and smoke into the night sky and setting off loud explosions.
Fire trucks sprayed foam onto the crash site and after two hours the blaze was extinguished, allowing rescuers to search through the destroyed buildings for bodies or survivors.
Hundreds of people came to see the spectacle and film it with their mobile phones, hampering access for emergency workers.
An aviation authority spokesperson said the plane came down two minutes after take off from the city's international airport.
He said the eight crew, all Russians, were dead.
Many people initially thought the blast was from a bomb.
Some of the dead were taken to Karachi's Civil Hospital where Doctor Hamid Berryal said authorities were struggling to identify the victims as the bodies were so badly burnt.
The aviation authority spokesperson said the plane was an Il-89, a multipurpose cargo plane that is often used for ferrying humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items.
The crash was the third in less than five months in Pakistan.
Earlier this month in Karachi, 21 people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed soon after take off.
In July, a passenger jet operated by Pakistan carrier Airblue crashed into hills overlooking the capital, Islamabad, during stormy weather, killing all 152 onboard.
At least one person on the ground was injured, but the Russian-made plane missed several densely populated apartment blocks by a few hundred yards (metres).
About 20 houses were damaged or destroyed though most were under construction and believed to be unoccupied, locals said.
The Sudan-bound plane crashed around 1:50 a.m (20:50 GMT Saturday), when many people in the upscale neighbourhood of Pakistan's largest city were asleep.
One of the plane's engines was on fire when it flew overhead, several witnesses said.
"I live nearby here, and one plane took off from the airport and the right side of this plane was already on fire. When the plane crashed in this area, there was a big explosion and a whole side of the plane was on fire," said a local resident, Nabil Ahmed.
The plane exploded into flames, sending fire and smoke into the night sky and setting off loud explosions.
Fire trucks sprayed foam onto the crash site and after two hours the blaze was extinguished, allowing rescuers to search through the destroyed buildings for bodies or survivors.
Hundreds of people came to see the spectacle and film it with their mobile phones, hampering access for emergency workers.
An aviation authority spokesperson said the plane came down two minutes after take off from the city's international airport.
He said the eight crew, all Russians, were dead.
Many people initially thought the blast was from a bomb.
Some of the dead were taken to Karachi's Civil Hospital where Doctor Hamid Berryal said authorities were struggling to identify the victims as the bodies were so badly burnt.
The aviation authority spokesperson said the plane was an Il-89, a multipurpose cargo plane that is often used for ferrying humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items.
The crash was the third in less than five months in Pakistan.
Earlier this month in Karachi, 21 people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed soon after take off.
In July, a passenger jet operated by Pakistan carrier Airblue crashed into hills overlooking the capital, Islamabad, during stormy weather, killing all 152 onboard.
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